Minutes 01-27-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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struggling with allocating the whole 48.1 percent, because when it is actually distributed, the attribution should be to the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS). She does not think the entire attribution can be made to one school system, because it is not all expended in one school district. Bonnie Hammersley said staff is not saying that the entire 48.1 percent is going to CHCCS. She said the current policy says that whenever the revenue goes up in the budget, 48.1 percent goes to all education. Commissioner Jacobs noted that the number is approximately 48.1 percent, but there is not a cap. He noted that Village Apartments has already been approved for this site, so there will be additional students. Commissioner Jacobs said all of this information is hypothetical, and he does not trust projections. He said if this is going to be based on hypothetical information about revenue generation, then it is reasonable for the County to generate hypothetical expenditures. He said it should be proposed that the municipalities take these expenditures and impacts to the County into consideration. He said staff is working to try and articulate these impacts. He said there is no coefficient where the municipalities worry about how this will hit the County, but there will be complaints if County taxes are too high. He said better communication and cooperation can help people know upfront what the cost will be for a County taxpayer who happens to live in the municipality Commissioner Burroughs asked if it is correct to say that when you first look at this, you see a deficit because there is no revenue yet. She said this is an exercise in revenue foregone. Commissioner Rich said she thinks that the 175 students forecast in the first phase is an outrageous number if you consider the history of developments in Chapel Hill. She said this makes the education number high, and she thinks this is why there is a large deficit. Paul Laughton said the total number is still 284 students over the three phases, so the cumulative cost is still going to be there. Commissioner Rich said there is an impact fee for students, plus the 48.1 percent allocated for education, and then there is $3,500 per student. She said it seems that this is double charging. Paul Laughton said these scenarios have the 48.1 percent separate outside of the growth, and then the growth is added on. He said this is because experience has shown that the number goes over 48.1 percent as a result of growth. Commissioner Rich asked if schools have gotten more than 48.1 percent for multiple years. Paul Laughton said yes. Commissioner Jacobs said 48.1 percent is the floor, not the ceiling. He said, with the coefficient that Craig Benedict used, there are almost 19 students from the first approved apartment complex. He said blank assumptions cannot be made, and he does not know enough about these 265 apartments. He said the Board could shoot holes into each of these assumptions, but he is trying to take this as staff's first try at working with Chapel Hill on providing metrics to start the conversation on this project. Commissioner Price said she agrees with Commissioner Jacobs. She said she also questions the number of proposed students. She said unless you have an idea of who will be attracted to these accommodations, this is hypothetical, and it is scary to see such a huge deficit at the end. Commissioner Burroughs said design will also determine the housing with form based code projects. She said the bigger point is to determine the philosophy for this project and whether it is to bring in less revenue than you might have had. She said it is not about losing money, but it is about getting less money. She is open to continuing a discussion about this. Commissioner Pelissier said she understands this a little differently in terms of revenues and expenses. She said if a certain amount of revenue comes in, but spending is more than